Apply for the 2017 Summer Institute on Conducting Archival Research

Extended Deadline: Applications are now due Sunday, February 19, 2017. All materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST.

The Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program and the GW Cold War Group seek applications for the 2017 Summer Institute on Conducting Archival Research (SICAR).

The Summer Institute on Conducting Archival Research (SICAR) is a four-day seminar in which Ph.D. students receive training in conducting archival research from world-class faculty, researchers, archivists, and publishers. Although archival research is an integral part of many academic disciplines, it is virtually never taught at the graduate level. In an effort to address this deficiency, the George Washington University began the Summer Institute in 2003. Since 2015, the Wilson Center’s History and Public Policy Program has organized and hosted SICAR in cooperation with the GW Cold War Group.

The History and Public Policy Program and the GW Cold War Group now welcome applications for the 2017 Summer Institute from Ph.D. students from the US and abroad working on international relations and modern history in a variety of disciplines, including history, government and politics, sociology, anthropology, and public policy, as well as area and regional studies. Preference will be given to students who have defended their dissertation proposal and who are about to embark on archival research.

The 2017 workshop will be held during the week of May 29-June 2. All sessions will be held at the Wilson Center in downtown Washington, DC. Student participants are required to attend all sessions. (Exact schedule TBA).

The extended deadline for applications for the 2017 program is Sunday, February 19, 2017. All materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST.

Applications should include the application cover sheet, curriculum vitae, and a one to two page (12 pt. font, double spaced, 1” margins) proposal outlining how your dissertation research would benefit from participation in SICAR. One letter of recommendation should also be submitted directly by the recommender. All application materials should be submitted via e-mail to sicar@wilsoncenter.org. The Wilson Center will make an effort to confirm receipt of all application materials.

The Wilson Center, pending funding, will provide meals and hotel accommodations in Washington for non-local SICAR participants. It may also be able to offer modest transportation subsidies. More information on funding will be available in spring 2017. Applicants are strongly encouraged to request additional funding for travel and ground expenses from their home institution or elsewhere.

For further information, please contact sicar@wilsoncenter.org. Students interested in applying for SICAR are encouraged to read about the 2016 Summer Institute.

The Wilson Center’s History and Public Policy Program focuses on the relationship between history and policy making and seeks to foster open, informed and non-partisan dialogue on historically relevant issues. Its many activities and projects include the Cold War International History Project (CWIHP). The History and Public Policy Program also manages the award-winning Digital Archive (www.DigitalArchive.org), which contains thousands of documents from international archives on contemporary history.

The George Washington Cold War Group works closely with the National Security Archive and the History and Public Policy Program to build a community of faculty, scholars, and graduate students dedicated to encouraging a multilingual, multidisciplinary and multinational exploration of the Cold War experience and its implications for understanding current policy issues.